Sir Anerood Jugnauth - Mauritius Times

MAURITIUS TIMESll ”The pandemic is an opportune moment in human history to refocus our efforts to revitalise nature and allow it to bloom in all its glory”. -- Shana Gokul

66th Year -- No. 3684 Tuesday, June 8, 2021 www.mauritiustimes.com facebook.com/mauritius.times 18 Pages - ePaper

A World Full ofMan-Made Risks

By Dr R Neerunjun Gopee + See Page 3

Qs & As -- ICAC's Parliamentary Committee

“The perceptionin the public isthat ICAC is not

functioning independently”.

By LEX ++ See Page 4-11

SAJ : Naissanced'un homme d'Etat

By Dan Callikan ++ See Page 10-12

“AneroodJugnauth was apragmatist... Itwas the final

objective thatmattered to him”

Interview: Suren Bissoondoyal

++ See Page 7-8-9

Edit Page

Mauritius TimesTuesday, June 8, 2021www.mauritiustimes.comfacebook.com/mauritius.times 2

On Thursday 3rd June 2021 Mauritius lost one of its most illus-trious sons of the soil, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, former PrimeMinister and President of the Republic. He was among the

longest serving political leaders in any democratic country, his activeengagement in politics extending over six decades, which also made himone of the oldest statesmen in the world at the time that he stepped downas Prime Minister in 2018. He had led his party, the MSM formed afterbreaking away from the MMM in 1983, to victory five times in alliance withother parties.

Hailed for leading the country towards an accelerated industrializationafter the defeat of the Labour Party in 1982, he achieved national, re-gional and international stature over the years. Thus, he was honoured atthe Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in India, the global forum of the almost30 million strong Indian Diaspora, and subsequently was awarded thePadma Vibhushan by the Government of India. He got enhanced recog-nition internationally when he took it upon himself to defend the cause ofthe Chagossians at the International Court of Justice at the Hague and atthe UN afterwards.

Like most Indo-Mauritians of his generation, he was born and broughtup in a poor family in Palma, and faced the hurdles that such circums-tances place in the way of obtaining proper primary and secondary edu-cation, before proceeding to London to study law and returning toMauritius after completion of his studies.

Given this background, it was quite natural that he would have theinterest of the poor and the downtrodden at heart, and his profession aslawyer no doubt placed him in a position to gain more awareness abouttheir plight and the need to defend their rights and improve their condi-tions. He saw education as key to this, which is the reason that he re-jected the recommendation of the IMF in 1982 to cut the education bud-get, as Suren Bissoondoyal points out in his interview to this paper today.

In fact, as the interview shows, he was influenced by the activism ofthe Bissoondoyal brothers in the social and political fields, and this ledhim to join the Independent Forward Bloc founded by SookdeoBissoondoyal. He stood as its candidate in 1963 at Riviere du Rempartand defeated the Labour Party stalwart Anauth Beejadhur. This politicalengagement was complemented by his involvement in the All HinduCongress, which had a socio-cultural focus.

As is well known, the IFB joined with the Labour Party and the CAMto fight for Independence, but split from the LP shortly after independencewas won. The next stop of Anerood Jugnauth was the MMM from the1970s onwards, until he formed his own party MSM in 1983, and leadingit to five successive victories by forming alliances with other parties,including LP.

The new breed of leaders have not been exposed to the kind of hard-ships that SAJ and others of his generation went through, having grownup in relatively more well to do circumstances. This is all the more rea-son for them to be inspired by the trajectories of those who haveassumed the responsibilities of the highest offices of the land with ho-nour and dignity.

Mauritius TimesFounder/Editor: Beekrumsing Ramlallah - Aug 1954-Sept 2000

Editor-in-chief: M. Ramlallah / Senior Editor: Dr RN GopeeThis epaper has been produced with the assistance of

Doojesh Ramlallah, Sultana Kurmally and Kersley Ramsamy

Pearl House 4th Floor Room 406 - Sir Virgil Naz Street, Port Louis -- Tel: 5-29 29301 Tel/Fax: 212 1313

[email protected] www.mauritiustimes.com facebook.com/mauritius.times

Sir Anerood Jugnauth

Every time there is a major diseaseoutbreak, one of the first ques-tions scientists and the public ask

is: “Where did this come from?”In order to predict and prevent future

pandemics like COVID-19, researchersneed to find the origin of the viruses thatcause them. This is not a trivial task. Theorigin of HIV was not clear until 20 yearsafter it spread around the world.Scientists still don’t know the origin ofEbola, even though it has caused periodic epidemics since the 1970s.

As an expert in viral ecology, I amoften asked how scientists trace the ori-gins of a virus. In my work, I have foundmany new viruses and some well-knownpathogens that infect wild plants withoutcausing any disease. Plant, animal orhuman, the methods are largely thesame. Tracking down the origins of a virus involvesa combination of extensive fieldwork, thorough labtesting and quite a bit of luck.

Viruses jump from wild animal hosts to humans

Many viruses and other disease agents thatinfect people originate in animals. These diseasesare zoonotic, meaning they are caused by animalviruses that jumped to people and adapted tospread through the human population.

It might be tempting to start the viral originsearch by testing sick animals at the site of the firstknown human infection, but wild hosts often don’tshow any symptoms. Viruses and their hostsadapt to each other over time, so viruses oftendon’t cause obvious disease symptoms untilthey’ve jumped to a new host species.Researchers can’t just look for sick animals.

Another problem is that people and their foodanimals aren’t stationary. The place whereresearchers find the first infected person is notnecessarily close to the place where the virus firstemerged.

In the case of COVID-19, bats were an obviousfirst place to look. They’re known hosts for manycoronaviruses and are the probable source ofother zoonotic diseases like SARS and MERS.

For SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causesCOVID-19, the nearest relative scientists havefound so far is BatCoV RaTG13. This virus is partof a collection of bat coronaviruses discovered in2011 and 2012 by virologists from the WuhanVirology Institute. The virologists were looking forSARS-related coronaviruses in bats after theSARS-CoV-1 pandemic in 2003. They collectedfecal samples and throat swabs from bats at a sitein Yunnan Province about 932 miles (1,500 kilo-meters) from the institute’s lab in Wuhan, wherethey brought samples back for further study.

To test whether the bat coronaviruses couldspread into people, researchers infected monkeykidney cells and human tumor-derived cells withthe Yunnan samples. They found that a number ofthe viruses from this collection could replicate inthe human cells, meaning they could potentially betransmitted directly from bats to humans withoutan intermediate host. Bats and people don’t comeinto direct contact very often, however, so an inter-mediate host is still quite likely.

Finding the nearest relatives

The next step is to determine how closely re-lated a suspected wildlife virus is to the one infec-ting humans. Scientists do this by figuring out thegenetic sequence of the virus, which involvesdetermining the order of the basic building blocks,or nucleotides, that make up the genome. Themore nucleotides two genetic sequences share,the more closely related they are.

Genetic sequencing of bat coronavirusRaTG13 showed it to be over 96% identical toSARS-CoV-2. This level of similarity means thatRaTG13 is a pretty close relative to SARS-CoV-2,confirming that SARS-CoV-2 probably originatedin bats, but is still too distant to be a direct ances-tor. There likely was another host that caught thevirus from bats and passed it on to humans.

Because some of the earliest cases of COVID-19 were found in people associated with thewildlife market in Wuhan, there was speculationthat a wild animal from this market was the inter-mediate host between bats and humans.However, researchers never found the coronavirusin animals from the market.

The Conversation

How virus detectives trace the origins ofan outbreak – and why it’s so tricky

Bat hosts, lab leaks – tracing SARS-CoV-2 to its origins involvesmore than just tracking down patient zero.

Marilyn J. RoossinckProfessor of Plant Pathology and Environmental

Microbiology, Penn State

A challenge in viral origin tracing is the wide range of human and animal samples that need to be collected and

tested. Pic - Getty Images

* Cont. on page 11

Even as the Covid-19 pandemic seemsto be finally abating in terms of the

total numbers of cases and deaths thatare being reported regularly, another con-troversy that has now gone mainstream isthe theory of the lab-leak which is receiving extensive coverage in the USmedia in particular. Much of the researchabout the sanitary measures had beendone there initially, and then crystallizedinto the recommendations made by theUS Centres for Disease Control, whichwere broadly accepted and followed bymost countries, as they were also articu-lated by the WHO.

One would recall the expert who wason American TV almost daily, and invari-ably when President Trump would be giving his briefings, namely Dr AntonyFauci, considered to be the top infectiousdiseases specialist in the US and Directorof its National Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases. As 2020 rolled out,gradually Dr Fauci's appearances diminished, until finally he was no longerpresent at all in these briefings.

Things have taken a 180-degree turnabout him following the availability of his900 emails totaling over 3000 pages.According to US news channels, theyhave revealed correspondence betweenhim and the Wuhan Institute of Virology,with US scientists and researchers working in collaboration with the Instituteand funded via an entity called EcohealthAlliance to carry out what is called 'gain offunction' research on coronaviruses.Other than engineering these viruses tomake them more lethal and produce corresponding diseases that could thenbe studied, so that scientists and doctorswould be more prepared to face themshould they erupt in future, at some stageconcern was raised about this line ofresearch becoming 'too risky.' The worrywas about using such engineered virusesfor biowarfare. Whether or not thatresearch was stopped is yet to be deter-mined, and hopefully the task force set upby President Biden to investigate the

origins of the Wuhan virus will come upwith a more definitive answer than theWHO team has.

Meanwhile the pandemic has sweptacross the world, infecting hundreds ofmillions and killing millions, and leaving inits long trail medical and health devasta-tions, as well as social and economicimpacts that will disrupt lives and societies far into the future.

One global issue of more direct andimmediate concern is vaccination: regard-ed by all experts as the key measure,among the others recommended, that willstop the spread of the virus, in practice allcountries are facing problems of supply,and most have to fall back on the WHOCovax platform. Predictably, the richcountries have secured their supplies inadvance and on a priority basis. UK PM

Boris Johnson has made an appeal at therecent G7 meeting for the whole world tobe vaccinated by the end of 2022. Howachievable is that depends of course onavailability and access to all - a tall order!

Even if this be possible, there stillremains the significant proportions of people in all countries who refuse toreceive the jab, a situation which we arefacing here too. This pitches the debate toone between private choice and publicgood, posing a challenge to authoritieseverywhere, and making the prospect oftotal immunity recede even farther. Eachcountry has to take this call for itself abouthow best it can achieve its vaccinationgoal, and some hard decisions no doubthave to be made.

Meanwhile, while some countries arebeginning to lift restrictions given theirimproving situations - UK, France, India,US among others -- we still have to reckon with the possibility of third wavesemerging at different times in future in different countries, including our own,meaning that we cannot let our armsdown yet.

Op-Ed Mauritius Times Friday, June 8, 2021 3

A World Full of Man-Made RisksWe still have to reckon with the possibility of third waves emerging at different times in future in different

countries, including our own, meaning that we cannot let our arms down yet

Dr R Neerunjun Gopee

Protecting ourselves fromfilms and social media

The golden rule should now be: everything isfake until proved otherwise

The recent discovery of the bodies oftwo young women in a fruit orchard inMare d'Albert, suspected of being mur-dered by an alleged serial killer, brings tothe fore once again the vulnerability ofpeople to the perverse influence of formsof the media that exert inordinate influ-ence on our lives - and sends alarm bellsabout how all of us should be extremelycareful in our responses to what we view.

The golden rule should now be:everything is fake until proved other-wise.

Several years ago, before the explo-sion of social media, I had written an arti-cle titled 'Reel life is not real life.' It wasto caution youngsters of an impression-able age about the dangers of an over-exposure to Bollywood films in particular.I had observed: 'There are many filmswhich provide wholesome entertainment.Unfortunately, many of the more popularones, which tend to be lapped up andtherefore imitated uncritically by thecredulous - especially in matters of dressand "style" - fall into the "misguiding" category. And this applies in particular tothe Bollywoodian films which depictheady romanticisms centred around thestale love triangles of cavorting macho-looking actors and actresses aping their

Western counterparts, in tropical loca-tions far removed from the context andrealities of India. Et pour cause -because these films are targeted essen-tially at the Indian masses who need toescape from the tedium of their dailygrind.'

I had quoted the remarks ofBollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha, whohad then been appointed Union ministerof Health: 'I deeply regret misguiding theyouth in my films with the villainyantics…my style of smoking and drinkingin the films might have misled manyyouths and I am sorry for that,' addingthat he quit posing for a liquor brand afterdoing so only once because of themoney.

While many youths, female and malekeep succumbing to the fakes peddled inBollywood films, social media withFacebook leading has now emerged as amajor corrupting influence if not properlyused. This was highlighted in last week'seditorial in this paper about the dark,dangerous side of social media: aboutcases of 'especially women in vulnerablesituations, taken in by the false promisesbeing made, using fake identities andchanged names. Unsuspectingly, theybelieve that the names being used andthe promises being made - of marriage,or travel outside/settling abroad - aregenuine, and it is too late by the timethey realise and then can't escapebecause of blackmail, well-known beingphotos of the victims in compromising

postures being surreptitiously taken andmade to go viral on social media. Inextreme cases, these lead to suicide, orto the killing of these subjects.'

Was also emphasized 'that theresponsibility of protecting oneself liessquarely on the shoulders of the indivi-dual… since it would appear that manypeople, especially those in difficulty, arenot aware of the dangers that await themon Facebook.' Further, 'everyone mustbe extremely careful in using Facebook,whether it is posting material especiallypersonal details, or responding to posts.They must check, check, check beforethey take any step forward if they do notwant to end up cheated or dead.'

It is therefore up to parents and fami-ly, NGOs and civil society organizationsto take the lead in creating the necessaryawareness among citizens. But, at thesame time, the State should also step inand launch a campaign to supplementthe efforts of non-State actors in this pro-ject. There is a very valid reason for theState to be involved: in the protection ofthe citizens of the country, fundamental-ly, and eventually, when a crime is com-mitted, it is the State's human and logis-tical resources that are mobilized toinvestigate and try to solve the crime,resources which could otherwise be putin service elsewhere.

This is a world full of risks at everybend. It's up to us, both individually andcollectively, to be extremely vigilant at alltimes. And seek help if we are not sure.

“One global issue of more direct and immediate concern is vaccination:

regarded by all experts as the key measure,among the others recommended, that will stopthe spread of the virus, in practice all countriesare facing problems of supply, and most have

to fall back on the WHO Covax platform.Predictably, the rich countries have securedtheir supplies in advance and on a prioritybasis. UK PM Boris Johnson has made an

appeal at the recent G7 meeting for the wholeworld to be vaccinated by the end of 2022. How

achievable is that depends of course on availability and access to all - a tall order!"

* The Independent CommissionAgainst Corruption (ICAC) has latelybeen heard proceeding apace with theinvestigation into the case of allegedcorruption in the St Louis Power StationRedevelopment Project. BertrandLagesse, head of AMB LagesseBusiness and Engineering Consultancy,and Philippe Hao Thyn Chuan Ha Shunof PAD Co had been called, late May2021, for further inquiries. Whether thiswould qualify as a complex inquiry ornot and why it is taking so long for ICACto conclude the investigation are notknown, but things are moving... and thatshould be sufficient, isn't it?

Financial crimes are not easy to inves-tigate in view of their complexity and rami-fications. Today financial crimes are notfrontier-bound ; they have become transna-tional. This necessitates internationalassistance, and requests for mutual assis-tance may give rise to legal issues in the

country that receives the request for assis-tance. Of course there are financial crimeswhich have a local component only, andthese should move quickly as far as theinvestigation is concerned.

* The Prevention of Corruption Act2002 does not seem to provide for anyoversight mechanism that could havemonitored the ICAC at its operationallevel, especially as regards the conductof investigations. Moreover, Section 20(2) & (3) provides that 'The Commissionshall act independently, impartially, fair-ly and in the public interest', and'Subject to this Act, the Director-General shall not be under the control,direction of any other person or autho-rity' respectively. Is it in the public in-terest that such should be the case?

Yes, it is in the public interest, and forthe sake of the integrity of investigations itis necessary that an institution that is man-

dated to fight financial crimes should beindependent and not be under the controlor authority of anybody or any other institu-tion. The only monitoring mechanismresides in the people who man ICAC. Howthey do it and how the public react to theiractions can be said toconstitute a form ofmonitoring.

* Moreover, Section 19 (4) providesfor the appointment of the Director-General of ICAC by the Prime Ministerafter consultation with the Leader of theOpposition. It does not seem theDirector-General enjoys the same cons-titutional protection as the Director ofPublic Prosecutions or of Judges.Without putting in doubt the integrity ofthe holder of the post, this may placethe Director-General of ICAC in anuncomfortable position vis-à-vis thehead of government, isn't it?

An institution is an inert body. Itbecomes functional and operative whenpersons are appointed to man it. Its func-tion depends on how the person soappointed does it. Independence is a stateof mind. If the head of ICAC decides to jet-tison his independence and kow-tows toorders or instructions from the person whoappointed him, then the only solution is toshut down the institution.

* We have not heard fromOpposition politicians, now or duringthe time when they were at the helm ofthe affairs of the country, taking issuewith this state of affairs and taking anycorrective measures. All politicianswant to have the ICAC under theirthumb, right?

We do not know whether all politicianswant ICAC to be under their thumb. ThePrevention of Corruption Act 2002 guaran-tees the independence of ICAC. We havenever had under any previous regime sinceICAC was established such a perception ofa total lack of independence from ICACwhen it comes to some specific investiga-tions. It is a real cause for concern.

* The Prevention of Corruption Act2002 has also provided for aParliamentary Committee, 'composed of9 members, 5 of whom shall be desig-nated by the Prime Minister and 4 ofwhom shall be designated by theLeader of the Opposition', whose func-tions is to 'monitor and review the man-ner in which the Commission fulfils itsfunctions, but cannot intervene norinterfere in any 'specific case underinvestigation by the Commission'.Opposition members on that Committee

have expressed dissatisfaction with itsworkings and the irregular or delayedholding of meetings. What would thissuggest?

This is what appears on the website ofICAC: 'The Parliamentary Committee mo-nitors and reviews the manner in which theCommission fulfills its functions under theAct, reviews the budgetary estimates of theCommission, and issues such instructionsas it considers appropriate with regard tothe financial management, and the staffingrequirements of the Commission, as wellas the allocation of resources to the va-rious operations of the Commission.'

The Parliamentary Committee’s roledoes not extend to monitoring a matterrelated to any investigation being carriedout by ICAC or the findings of theCommission in relation to a particularinvestigation. The ICAC accounts for itsinvestigative decisions through a separatemechanism, i.e. to the judiciary.

The question may be asked as towhether since the formation of the newgovernment in 2019 and the composition ofthe Parliamentary Committee, theCommittee is living up to its mandate. Itwould appear this has not been the case,hence the dissatisfaction of the Membersof the Opposition.

The impression is that the government,the Parliamentary Committee and ICACconstitute a close-knit confederation.

* We have seen recently the IntegrityReporting Services Agency draggingthe ICAC to Court for failure to furnish itwith detailed reports on cases of unex-plained wealth. Could the Opposition, ifit wanted to make its voices heard with-in the Committee and ensure that it isallowed to carry out the functions asprescribed by the Act, have in the samemanner gone to the Supreme Court forredress?

The Parliamentary Committee is anemanation of Parliament, and it is unlikelythat the Supreme Court would intervene inthe manner in which it functions. But thereis no harm in trying by filing a test case.

On the other hand, the case filedagainst ICAC by the Integrity ReportingServices Agency concerns an administra-tive matter in the sense that ICAC as aninstitution, outside the purview ofParliament, as regards its powers, appa-rently failed to submit detailed reports oncertain matters to the Agency. Let us waitfor the outcome.

* Cont. on page 11

Qs & As Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 4

“The perception in the public is thatICAC is not functioning independently.

Why, it may be asked, but this would be a rhetorical question”

“We do not know whether all politicians want ICAC to be under their thumb.The Prevention of Corruption Act 2002 guarantees the independence of

ICAC. We have never had under any previous regime since ICAC was establishedsuch a perception of a total lack of independence from ICAC when it comes to

some specific investigations. It is a real cause for concern...”

The performance of the institution set up in 2002 to help combatcorruption and money-laundering, ICAC, has been under the

scanner recently with a large number of high-profile cases thathave been reportedly sent its way. Despite a sizable budget and

experienced investigative staff, the general perception in the public is thatit is not living up to expectations. Wherein lies the problem, the governing

law, the mode of appointment of the DG, the parliamentary monitoringmechanism, or the inherent complexity of financial scams that elude its

investigative powers? We have asked LEX to weigh in.LEX

ICAC's Parliamentary Committee

Spotlights Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 5

TThe second baby for the Duke andDuchess of Sussex is officially here:

Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl onFriday.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry andMeghan said Sunday the couple welcomed their child Lilibet "Lili" DianaMountbatten-Windsor. Their daughterweighed in at 7 lbs, 11 oz.

Her first name, Lilibet, is a nod to HerMajesty The Queen's nickname. Her middle name is in honor of her grand-mother and Harry's mother. The baby isthe eighth in line to the British throne. Nophotos of the newborn or the Sussexesaccompanied the announcement.

The birth comes after Harry and

Meghan's explosive TV interview withOprah Winfrey in March. The coupledescribed painful discussions about thecolour of their first child's skin, losing royalprotection and the intense pressures thatled her to contemplate suicide.

Buckingham Palace said the allega-tions of racism made by the couple were"concerning." The royal family said theissue would be addressed privately.

In early 2020, Meghan and Harryannounced they were quitting royal dutiesand moving to North America, citing whatthey said were the unbearable intrusionsand racist attitudes of the British media.They live in Montecito, a posh area recently bought a house in Santa Barbara,California.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcome second child, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana

The birth comes after Harry and Meghan's explosive TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. Pic - Reuters

TThe United States,Britain and other large,

rich nations reached alandmark deal on Saturdayto squeeze more moneyout of multinational compa-nies such as Amazon andGoogle and reduce theirincentive to shift profits tolow-tax offshore havens.

Hundreds of billions ofdollars could flow into thecoffers of governments leftcash-strapped by the coro-navirus disease (Covid-19)pandemic after the G7advanced economiesagreed to back a minimumglobal corporate tax rate ofat least 15%.

The decision was takenat the meeting of G7finance ministers inLondon, reports AmitChaturvedi of HindustanTimes.

British Treasury chief

Rishi Sunak posted aTwitter thread where heexplained what the dealmeans. "Under the princi-ples of the landmarkreforms, the largest globalfirms with profit margins ofat least 10% will be inscope - with 20% of anyprofit above the 10% mar-gin reallocated and thensubjected to tax in thecountries where they makesales," he said in one of thetweets.

US Treasury SecretaryJanet Yellen said theagreement "providestremendous momentum"for reaching a global dealthat "would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporatetaxation and ensure fair-ness for the middle classand working people in theU.S. and around theworld."

G7 leaders strike deal totax Google, Amazon and

other tech giants

Hundreds of billions of dollars could flow into the coffers of governmentsleft cash-strapped by Covid-19. Pic - Reuters

SSeveral US lawmakers have urgedthe Biden administration to

ensure that India receives enoughCovid-19 vaccines and medical aid,saying the health crisis in the countryis "devastating" and America has aresponsibility to help its close alliesdefeat the pandemic, reportsHindustan Times.

Biden said the US will share thevaccine to many countries to fight thepandemic through the UN-backedCOVAX global vaccine sharing programme as part of his administra-tion's framework for sharing 80 million vaccines globally.

"The crisis in India is devastatingand demands more action from(President Joe) Biden. More Covid-19 vaccines and medical supplies areneeded to help one of our mostimportant global allies fight this virus,"Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

In a tweet, the Republican gover-nor urged US citizens to join him inpraying for India.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz saidthat almost 300 million doses ofCovid-19 vaccines have been administered in the US.

"India is a critical friend of the US.Biden's vaccine sharing programmeis flawed: We should prioritise ourallies such as India, and make sure itreceives the Covid-19 vaccines theydesperately need," he said.

Senator Roger Wicker from theSenate Armed Services Committeesaid that it is important for the US tocontinue helping other nations beatthe coronavirus. "Sending excessvaccines to close allies like Indiadoesn't just make sense, it is the rightthing to do," he said.

Indian-American CongressmanRo Khanna, also a member of theHouse Armed Services Committee,

said to help India deal with shortage,the US needs to send those vaccinesthat it will never use, just like Indiahelped America in its time of need.

Congressman Dan Crenshawsaid Houston is home to a largeIndian community with friends andfamilies in need back in India. "Itshould be a priority within this inter-national programme," he tweeted.

Observing that the Covid-19 situa-

tion in India is "heartbreaking",Congressman August Pfluger saidthat the US has a responsibility tohelp its ally.

The US has also sent critical medical equipment and medicines toIndia to fight the second wave ofCovid-19.

US lawmakers push Biden for more Covid-19 vaccines and medical aid to India

* Contd on page 6

Spotlights Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 6

FFrance's competition regulator onMonday fined Google 220 million

euros after finding it had abused itsdominant market position for placingonline ads, as US tech giants facegrowing pressure in Europe, reportsAFP.

The penalty is part of a settlementreached after three media groups --News Corp, French daily Le Figaro,and Belgium's Groupe Rossel --accused Google of effectively havinga monopoly over ad sales for theirwebsites and apps.

The competition authority deter-mined that Google gave preferentialtreatment to its own ad inventory auc-tion service AdX and to Doubleclick

Ad Exchange, its real-time platformfor letting clients choose and buy ads.

"It is the first ruling in the world toscrutinise the complex algorithmicprocesses for the auctions that deter-mine online 'display' advertising," theauthority's president Isabelle de Silvasaid.

Media groups looking to sell adspace on their internet sites or mobileapps using rival platforms often foundthat Google's services were unfairlycompeting against rivals, using a variety of methods.

For example, regulators foundthat Doubleclick would vary the com-mission it took when making a sale

based on prices offered by other so-called ad servers.

At the same time, Googlearranged for AdX, its own supply-sideplatform (SSP), to give preferentialtreatment to offers emanating fromDoubleclick -- effectively squeezingout competitors such as Xandr orIndex Exchange.

"The practices are particularlyserious because they are penalisingGoogle's competitors in the SSPmarket as well as the editors of websites and mobile apps," the regu-lator said in a statement.

Media groups saw their online adrevenues crimped "even as theirbusiness model has been stronglyundermined by the decline in papersubscriptions and the associateddrop in advertising revenue," it said.

Le Figaro eventually dropped itscomplaint.

Google did not contest the findings, and the regulator said thecompany has committed to opera-tional changes including improvedinter-operability with third-party adplacement providers.

The fine represents just a tinyfraction of the $55.3 billion in revenuebooked by Google in the first quarterof this year alone, mainly from onlinead sales.

France fines Google 220 million euros for abusingmarket spot with online ads

static.dw.com

NNepal has had to sign a non-disclosure agreement withthe makers of China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine in

order to gain access to doses amid questions about thelegality of such an undertaking, according to a mediareport on Monday.

The Nepal government has been desperately lookingfor alternate sources of vaccines after India temporarilyhalted the export of jabs in late March to cope with a devastating second wave. Close to a million people inNepal who received the first dose of the Covishield vaccine are currently waiting for their second dose afterthe passage of more than two months, reports HindustanTimes.

Sinopharm's proposal for a non-disclosure agreementcreated a dilemma among officials of Nepal's health ministry as the country's laws don't have a provision fornon-disclosure agreements in public procurements, TheKathmandu Post reported.

The official further said the China NationalPharmaceutical Group, the maker of Sinopharm, willquote a price after Nepal states how many doses itintends to procure. "Then the procurement process willmove forward. I cannot say when the vaccines will beavailable," the official said.

China earlier supplied 1.8 million doses of theSinopharm vaccine as grants to Nepal.

Nepal's Public Procurement Act of 2007 and the recentCovid-19 Crisis Management Ordinance are silent onnon-disclosure agreements, though they allow the

government to procure directly from suppliers or manu-facturers without competitive bidding in extraordinary situations.

According to Nepal's Public Procurement MonitoringOffice, details of all procurements must be disclosedunder the existing law, except in situations where the government procures defence-related materials that aresensitive from a national security point of view.

"If the existing procurement law and the ordinancedon't allow us to procure the much-needed vaccinesthrough the non-disclosure agreement, the procurement

process can move ahead only througha policy decision of the Cabinet," saidTaranath Pokharel, director of theFamily Welfare Division of Nepal'shealth ministry.

"I think the Cabinet will take a deci-sion to facilitate the vaccine procure-ment in the current pressing time," headded.

The controversy over Sinopharmvaccine in Nepal follows rows related tothe jab in other countries.

The procurement price of theSinopharm vaccine in Sri Lanka trig-gered a row after reports emerged thatColombo paid a higher per-dose pricethan Bangladesh. Sri Lanka is paying$15 a dose, or $5 higher than whatBangladesh paid.

Bahrain, which was one of the first countries to backthe Sinopharm vaccine last year, has raised doubts aboutthe jab's effectiveness. Bahraini officials recently told themedia that authorities will offer the Pfizer vaccine to high-risk individuals who had received two Sinopharm dosesbecause these jabs didn't appear to be enough in the faceof a new wave of Covid-19 infections in the West Asiancountry.

Compiled by Doojesh Ramlallah

Nepal signed non-disclosure agreement for Sinopharm jabs: Report

kathmandupost.com

BBeijing's politically sensitive trade surplus with theUnited States rose 14% to $31.8 billion, while the sur-

plus with the European Union fell 43% to $12.7 billion.China has reported its exports and imports surged in

May on growing demand as the pandemic was waning inthe US and other key markets, though the pace of growthis leveling off.

Customs data released Monday showed exports rose28% from a year earlier and imports soared 51% - at thefastest annual pace in over a decade. Total exportsclimbed 40% in the first five months of the year from ayear earlier. They were up 29% from the same period in2019, reports AP.

China has led the global recovery from the pandemic,which is still raging in many parts of the globe but receding in some places, mostly where vaccinations havebeen widely deployed.

Chinese manufacturers benefited from strong demandfor protective gear and other products as other countriesbattled Covid-19, gaining market share from competitors.

Pandemic wanes in US,other markets, China's

exports and imports surge

An employee sorts vegetable inside a Metro China supermarket, operated by Wumei Technology Group Inc., in

Beijing, China.(Bloomberg)

Mauritius Times: We understandyou had become acquainted withAnerood Jugnauth since his earlydays in politics or even prior to that,when he would come visiting Basdeoand Sookdeo Bissoondoyal beforeeventually joining the IndependentForward Bloc (IFB) and standing as anIFB candidate in the 1963 elections.Would it be right to say that the in-fluence of the Bissoondoyal Brothersand of the Jan Andolan have had adetermining impact on his politicalchoices and on his politics?

Surendra Bissoondoyal: I wasstudying in London at that time, so I didnot know Sir Anerood Jugnauth fromclose quarters. But I got the news abouthis election in 1963 -- not an easy victorythough, since he had to stand againstAnauth Beejadhur, the sitting member inthat constituency. That was to earn himthe reputation of 'giant killer'.

When I came back in 1965, he wassitting in the Legislative Council and hadbecome Deputy Leader of the IFB in ashort time. I watched him recently in a filmproduced by the Basdeo BissoondoyalTrust Fund recalling his childhood dayswhen he would accompany, as a child ofaround 10 years, his father to the ser-mons of Basdeo on the Hindu scripturesin Palma. His father was a'Bissoondoyalist', he said, and though hecould not grasp what it meant at his

young age, he eventually became a'Bissoondoyalist' himself. I suppose theinfluence you undergo when you areyoung stays with you much longer thanwhen you have already grown up. Thatinfluence must have stayed on with him.

That could be the reason why hedecided that the Esplanade at the Port-Louis Harbour should be named afterBasdeo Bissoondoyal despite theentreaties of some government officials tohave his own name instead. AneroodJugnauth became and remained a

'Bissondoyalist', and that is why he him-self and his wife Sarojini made it a pointto attend the sermons of Basdeo atRivière du Rempart or wherever theywere held.

* You said that Sir AneroodJugnauth became a ‘Bissoondoyalist’,what did it imply to be a‘Bissoondoyalist’?

At that time, the discrimination that theIndian community faced put them at a ter-rible disadvantage. When BasdeoBissoondoyal came back from India, hewanted them to be proud of their cultureand to fight for their rights so as to earnrespect. He instilled a new spirit in thepeople: Stand up and fight discriminationand exclusion; it was a spirit of empower-ment. That spirit was reflected when thepeople responded positively to the appeal

of Basdeo and Sookeo to boycott thenotorious ‘Le Course Malbar', a termused in a derogatory manner to diminishthem as inferiors - only worthy of makinga spectacle of themselves at the Champde Mars on that particular racing day.

* What do you think caused him toleave the IFB to found the All MauritiusHindu Congress? Could it be said thatthe Congress' harder line appearedmore appealing to the young Jugnauth

than the IFB's ideology?

He did not really leave the IFB. TheHindu Congress had no intention toevolve into a political party, but probablyunder the influence of Basdeo andSookdeo sought to empower the Hinducommunity. In fact, Anerood Jugnauth,whilst staying with in the IFB, joined theHindu Congress.

* Cont. on page 8

Interview Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 7

“What played in SSR's favour was that he had the support of the Governorand of the British at that time, who wanted him because of his pro-British

inclination rather than Sookdeo to become head of independentMauritius. Even in India, at that time, there was Jawarharlal Nehru whoseapproach was much like SSR's - and therefore more accommodating and

acceptable to the British to be the Prime minister of India...”

“Anerood Jugnauth was a pragmatist who knew how to take advantage ofsome given situation and used it effectively. He knew that the MSM on itsown would not be able to fight the MMM, so he enlisted the support of the

Labour Party and the PMSD. He knew what was required and how he could getit. It was the final objective that mattered to him...”

Suren Bissoondoyal

“Anerood Jugnauth was a pragmatist... It wasthe final objective that mattered to him”

Surendra Bissondoyal has been a prominent figure in the education sector at all levels, and as a scion of the

Bissoondoyal family has had a ringside view of the politicaldevelopments in Mauritius from the pre-Independence days. And that

includes a close knowledge of the interactions between the young politician and activist Anerood Jugnauth and the Bissoondoyal

brothers, as well as the subsequent events that made and separatedand re-made party alliances, and the impact on the socio-economic

development of Mauritius in which Anerood Jugnauth was a key player.In this interview he sheds more light on these important aspects of

Mauritian politics which are not as well known to the public.

* Cont. from page 7

The affinity between those two movements - one politi-cal, and the other socio-cultural - was such that during aceremony in Flacq, Sookdeo garlanded the leader of theHindu Congress.

As regards what is perceived as the harder lineapproach of the Congress, it was clear that theCongress openly pursued a pro-Hindu agenda, whichwas not the case insofar the IFB was concerned andwhich also brought together non-Hindu members andelection candidates. That is how in the 1963 elections,Abdool Wahab Foondun, a Muslim IFB candidate, gotelected in a predominantly Hindu constituency: BonAccueil. The ambition was to build the IFB into a na-tional party, not one reserved for a particular community.That is also why Sookdeo Bissondoyal, as Member ofthe Legislative Council, obtained in those days the fullsupport of Dr Edgar Millien of L'Oeuvre. When he wassuspended from the Council by the Governor, it was GuyForget of the Labour Party who tabled a motion to repealthe suspension.

* The IFB and the Labour Party did come to-gether for the 1967 elections, but their alliance didnot last long. Even in later years the MSM, foundedby Anerood Jugnauth, went into another alliancewith the LP, then headed by the son of SSR. Why doyou think they could not click? Was it due to ideolo-gy, personality clashes or different political cul-tures?

I suppose it was to some extent a question of per-sonalities as well as the approach to be adopted vis-à-vis the colonial authorities. Sookdeo and Basdeo weremore vigorous in their defence of the people than SSRand Seeneevassen, who appeared more inclined tomake all sorts of compromises, which Sookdeo in parti-cular was not prepared to do. That did not deter themhowever from coming together for the 1967 electionswhen there was something greater at stake.

But again, as regards their differences, it could alsohave to do with their political grooming - one British andthe Bissoondoyal’s Indian. Basdeo had been to India ata time when the Indians were fighting against the Britishfor their independence. There was beside the non-vio-lent movement of the Indian National Congress the more

vigorous Azad Hind Movement of Subhash ChandraBose, who would also found his party, the Forward Bloc.The inspiration for the name of the Independent ForwardBloc no doubt came from Subhash Chandra Bose'sForward Bloc whereas SSR inherited the Labour Partywhich was based on the British Labour Party.

* Fifty years down the line, who do you think wasright in terms of political ideology and approach:SSR or Basdeo/Sookdeo?

It is a difficult question to answer, but what played in

SSR's favour was that he had the support of theGovernor and of the British at that time, who wanted himbecause of his pro-British inclination rather thanSookdeo to become head of independent Mauritius.Even in India, at that time, there was Jawarharlal Nehruwhose approach was much like SSR's - and thereforemore accommodating and acceptable to the British to bethe Prime minister of India. Subhash Chandra Bose, onthe other hand, was a fighter - just like Nehru was also -- but less accommodating.

* To come back to Anerood Jugnauth, even if theMSM were to go into alliances with the LP, PMSD,MMM, etc., in later years, could it also be said thatthe IFB's ideology had remained with and influencedAnerood Jugnauth's prime ministership down theyears? For example, when you consider his positiontowards electoral reform, the language issue…

When you consider all these issues, I would say hewas more in line with the thinking of the Bissoondoyals.But you have to first get yourself elected and thereafterhave the free hand to be able to implement your ideolo-gy.

* Cont. on page 9

Interview Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 8

“In 1982, it was the insistence of many of theMMM's party members that held Jugnauthback. In fact, there was a crucial meeting,

comprising MMM and PSM party members, held atUttam Bissoondoyal’s place to persuade him to

stay and fight back. I must say that HarishBoodhoo lent his support as well and later made amagnificent gesture by merging the PSM with the

newly-formed MSM...”

“When it comes to practising accommodationas a political strategy, there is a limit to

which you can go to if you have lived and operated by some principles and also what your

final objective is. Both Basdeo and Sookdeo werefirm about their principles. They would be

prepared to accommodate to some extent - but nofurther... because they believed that they have to

live by their principles...”

'Both Basdeo and Sookdeo were firm abouttheir principles. They would be prepared to

accommodate to some extent - but no further'

* Cont. from page 9

That's why he broke up with the MMM in 1982-1983. Itwas a mistake of Berenger to try to usurp his powers asPrime Minister. You can be the real leader of the party,but once you have chosen somebody else to be theleader of the alliance, in this case the MMM-PSMalliance, you must play by the rules. Berenger insteadwas disrespectful towards SAJ, and was all the time trying to convey the impression that he was the leader ofthat alliance.

Sir Anerood Jugnauth could not accept that. He notonly broke away, but he also wanted to give up politics -- just like he would have done in earlier years when asMinister of Labour he was not happy with the attitude ofSSR. He had then said to Sookdeo that he would goback to his profession. This is how he left politics to goto the State Law Office - and only to return to politicsmany years later at the insistence of the MMM.

In 1982, it was the insistence of many of the MMM'sparty members that held him back. In fact, there was acrucial meeting, comprising MMM and PSM party mem-bers, held at Uttam Bissoondoyal’s place to persuadehim to stay and fight back. I must say that HarishBoodhoo lent his support as well and later made a mag-nificent gesture by merging the PSM with the newly-formed MSM. That was to give Jugnauth the strength tofight back.

* It is said that Sookeo Bissoondoyal turned

down Paul Berenger's proposal to head an MMM-IFBalliance as prime ministerial candidate, and so didSatcam Boolell in 1991. Anerood Jugnauth usedrealpolitik extensively and with tremendous suc-cess, joining forces with different parties - the MMM,LP, PMSD - at different times to ensure his politicalsurvival. In fact, he survived the IFB itself. What doyou think?

Anerood Jugnauth was a pragmatist who knew howto take advantage of some given situation and used iteffectively. He knew that the MSM on its own would notbe able to fight the MMM, so he enlisted the support ofthe Labour Party and the PMSD. He knew what wasrequired and how he could get it. It was the final objec-tive that mattered to him.

* In a way, he was more like SSR than SookdeoBisssoondoyal, isn't it? If the latter had adopted thesame approach, he might have gone much farther...

You have a point there, but when it comes to prac-tising accommodation as a political strategy, there is alimit to which you can go to if you have lived and ope-rated by some principles and also what your final objec-tive is. Both Basdeo and Sookdeo were firm about theirprinciples. They would be prepared to accommodate tosome extent - but no further... because they believedthat they have to live by their principles. They were really not interested with power just for power's sake.

* It has been said recently that it was Sir AneroodJugnauth in the main who resisted the IMF andWorld Bank's recommendations to slash theEducation budget in 1982 at a time when the econo-my was doing badly. You have interacted with him inyour capacity as director of the MES and later asPro-Chancellor of the UOM. What were your impres-sions then of the stand he had taken?

I have been the Director of the MES for 13 years andPro-chancellor for 17 years, and I have to say that SirAnerood Jugnauth did not interfere in the day-to-dayrunning of the UOM. There was never a time when hewould ask me to do something, because he simply didnot want to interfere. Even when Jagadish Manrakhanleft as Vice-chancellor, he never sought to influence thedecision-making process for the appointment of the newVice-chancellor. It was only after we had chosen the bestcandidate and appointed Prof Mohamedbhai that weinformed him of our decision.

As far as the IMF and World Bank are concerned, forhaving known poverty and the difficulty of access to edu-cation by the poor, Anerood Jugnauth was very muchaware of the importance of education for the poor in ourtowns and villages. That is why he did not accept toslash the education budget. Also, it was during histenure as Prime Minister, from 2000 to 2003, that hisMinister of Education, Steven Obeegadoo embarked onthe most ambitious project of setting up 30 StateSecondary Schools and even allowed MGI to build threemore secondary schools. I was adviser at that time toSteven Obegadoo, and I can tell you that he worked veryhard to make that happen. The result was that access toState schools was fundamentally improved.

* The ensuing conflict with the confessionalauthorities when the latter reneged on the deal re-lating to the trade-off Reserved Seats and Inclusionof Oriental Languages must have shaken SAJ. Hishard-hitting reaction at the airport had remainedstuck with him for a long time. What do you remem-ber about that episode, and was SAJ fundamentallyright at that time?

I believe he was aware, just like SSR was, that theRoman Catholic schools had done a good job and thatwe had to accommodate them to some extent.Thankfully, a solution for the reserved seats (50:50) wasfound and the government accepted the solution, whichI think was in the best interests of everybody. ThereafterOriental languages was finally accepted for inclusion forexam purposes.

Interview Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 10

'It was a mistake of Berenger to try tousurp SAJ's powers as Prime Minister'

“It was a mistake of Berenger to try to usurp his powers as Prime Minister. You can be the

real leader of the party, but once you havechosen somebody else to be the leader of the

alliance, in this case the MMM-PSM alliance, youmust play by the rules. Berenger instead was

disrespectful towards SAJ, and was all the time trying to convey the impression that he was the

leader of that alliance. Sir Anerood Jugnauth could not accept that...”

Les neuf mois devie de l’allianceMMM-PSM et la

bataille électorale de1983 auront constituél’épreuve principale defeu Anerood Jugnauth. Ilsle font sortir de l’ombregéante de Paul Bérengerpour le propulser enpleine lumière au devantde la scène, en pleinepossession, dorénavant,de ses moyens, pourdevenir un véritablehomme d’Etat.

Ses traits de caractèretels que la sincérité, l’intégrité, le sens de la discipline etle travail bien fait en sortiront renforcés.

Les valeurs de Anerood Jugnauth

Au cours de ces neuf mois balisant deux épisodescharnières de l’histoire politique mauricienne, il aura suapprécier l’importance de l’amitié, le respect de la paroledonnée, et la nécessité d’un dialogue permanent avec lapopulation. Il aura, en même temps, fait preuve d’uneénergie farouche dans la défense de ses idéaux et de savision pour un pays où règne la justice sociale.

La lutte contre la pauvreté et la protection des plusdéfavorisés lui donne l’énergie nécessaire pour résister,à l’opposé de Paul Bérenger, aux exigences du Fondsmonétaire international (FMI) en ce qui concerne l’en-lèvement des subsides sur le riz et la farine et l’élimina-tion de l’éducation gratuite au niveau du secondaire.

C’est un thème qui aura profondément divisé l’al-liance MMM-PSM et qui constituera un des thèmesmajeurs de la campagne électorale de 1983. L’éducationsecondaire gratuite introduite par le PTr en 1977 a cons-titué un moyen de promotion sociale et a permis le suc-cès du programme de développement économique pen-dant les années 80.

Autre élément qui aura opposé Anerood Jugnauth àPaul Bérenger : le taux de compensation à être accordéaux travailleurs. Le taux proposé par Paul Bérenger,alors ministre des Finances de son Cabinet, est consi-déré inacceptable par la classe syndicale. Pendant lacampagne électorale de 1983, Anerood Jugnauth pro-posera de tout faire pour éliminer le chômage mais nefera pas de propositions démagogiques impossibles àtenir. En fait, le plein emploi fut presque atteint avant lesélections de 1987.

Conflits internes au MMMUne des principales leçons retenues par Anerood

Jugnauth des épreuves politiques dures et impitoyablessubies au sein du MMM après la victoire de 1982, a étéla conviction qu’il ne pouvait plus être à la merci d’unemajorité contrôlée par quelqu’un d’autre au sein d’unparti politique.

Anerood Jugnauth ne veut aucunement subir lesmultiples humiliations subies au sein de son parti, parexemple lors des conflits au sujet de l’expulsion du PSMde l’alliance gouvernementale à la demande d’ungroupe parlementaire du MMM déchaîné. D'autres étu-dient les pistes pour le destituer comme PM et, surtout,l’attaque directe et frontale dont il a été lui-même l’objetpendant une réunion du comité central du MMM fontdéborder le vase.

Il encaisse, fait le dos rond, mais épaulé par ceux -dont SSR - qui lui rappellent que la constitution d'un partipolitique ne peut avoir préséance sur la Constitution dupays, il prépare sa contre-offensive qui débouchera surla cassure du parti. Tous ces épisodes l’ont marqué aufer rouge, un écorché vif dont le franc-parler ne s'ac-commodera pas toujours de nuances.

Chef incontestéC’est ainsi qu’il a exigé que les députés qui l’ont suivi

suite à la cassure du MMM et les députés du PSM seréunissent au sein d’un parti, le Mouvement SocialisteMilitant (MSM), sous son leadership et que HarishBoodhoo soit le Campaign Manager du parti. Ce fut unedécision historique qui a changé les données de la poli-tique mauricienne de façon durable.

Il a assuré la santé financière du parti en construisantle Sun Trust à partir des donations faites au MSM pen-dant la campagne électorale et dont les revenus assu-reraient le financement des activités du parti. Anerood

Jugnauth avait toujours revendiquéla transparence dans cette entre-prise tandis que d’autres qualifientl’immeuble de “bâtiment de lahonte”.

Contact permanent avecl’électorat

Une dernière remarque peut êtrefaite au sujet du déroulement desévènements de 1982 à 1983 : c’estla volonté affichée par AneroodJugnauth d’être en contact perma-nent avec son électorat en orga-nisant des réunions privées, desmeetings régionaux, et des mee-tings nationaux, d’une part pourobtenir le soutien de cet électorat,répondre aux critiques de l’adver-saire et contrer l’activisme de sonprincipal adversaire sur le terrain.

Pendant la campagne électoralede 1983, malgré sa santé fragile,Anerood Jugnauth mettait la main àla pâte pour l’organisation des acti-vités du parti et descendait sur le ter-rain pour sillonner les circonscrip-tions et contrer les thématiques del'opposition.

Cette proximité et cette mobilisation constante serasans doute capitale pour se dépêtrer du désastre poten-tiel de l'affaire dite des "Amsterdam Boys" qui éclate en1985. Le MSM était très présent sur le terrain après lesélections de 1983 alors que Harish Boodhoo en étaitresponsable de l’organisation et, plus tard, le Dr DineshRamjuttun prit la relève : c’est ainsi que le MSM triom-pha du MMM aux élections de remplacement de IvanCollendavelloo dans la circonscription de La Caverne/Phoenix en 1989 suite à la démission de ce dernier duParlement.

Pour remporter les élections générales de 1983 faceà un MMM présent sur le terrain depuis 1969, ayant uneprofonde influence sur le monde syndical, AneroodJugnauth fit l’ouverture politique vers le PTr et le PMSD,au-delà de leurs différences idéologiques, afin de cons-tituer l’alliance bleu-blanc-rouge qui sera présentéecomme le rassemblement de la grande famille mauri-cienne. C’est une volonté pragmatique de rassemblertoutes les bonnes volontés et les compétences afin demettre en commun leurs efforts et leurs expériencespour relever les défis énormes sur les plans écono-miques et sociaux.

Nouveau départLe décor est ainsi planté pour que le pays prenne un

nouveau départ. Le gouvernement rassemblé en 1983sous la direction d’Anerood Jugnauth a sans doute étéle meilleur dans l’Histoire du pays tant sur le plan poli-tique que sur celui de la compétence : quelques nomsrestent gravés pour la postérité : Sir Gaëtan Duval, SirSatcam Boolell, Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo, KishoreDeerpalsing, Armoogum Parsuramen, Kadress Pillay,travaillant de concert avec le soutien actif de SirSeewoosagur Ramgoolam et de Harish Boodhoo.

* Suite en page 12

Opinion Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 10

SAJ : Naissance d’un homme d’EtatEn accordant la majorité à Anerood Jugnauth aux élections générales de 1983, les Mauriciens

pouvaient-ils deviner qu’ils avaient donné naissance à un homme d’État à la personnalité complexe?

“Une des principales leçons retenues par Anerood Jugnauth des épreuves politiques dures etimpitoyables subies au sein du MMM après la victoire de 1982, a été la conviction qu’il ne

pouvait plus être à la merci d’une majorité contrôlée par quelqu’un d’autre au sein d’un parti politique. Anerood Jugnauth ne veut aucunement subir les multiples humiliations subies au sein

de son parti, par exemple lors des conflits au sujet de l’expulsion du PSM de l’alliance gouvernementale à la demande d’un groupe parlementaire du MMM déchaîné…”

Dan Callikan

Likewise, when a related coronaviruswas identified in pangolins confiscated in ananti-smuggling operation in southern China,many leaped to the conclusion that SARS-CoV-2 had jumped from bats to pangolins tohumans. The pangolin virus was found to beonly 91% identical to SARS-CoV-2, though,making it unlikely to be a direct ancestor ofthe human virus.

To pinpoint the origin of SARS-CoV-2, alot more wild samples need to be collected.This is a difficult task – sampling bats is time-consuming and requires strict precautionsagainst accidental infection. Since SARS-related coronaviruses are found in batsacross Asia, including Thailand and Japan,it’s a very big haystack to search for a verysmall needle.

Creating a family tree for SARS-CoV-2

In order to sort out the puzzle of viral ori-gins and movement, scientists not only haveto find the missing pieces, but also figure outhow they all fit together. This requires col-lecting viral samples from human infectionsand comparing those genetic sequencesboth to each other and to other animal-

derived viruses.To determine how these viral samples

are related to each other, researchers usecomputer tools to construct the virus’s fami-ly tree, or phylogeny. Researchers comparethe genetic sequences of each viral sampleand construct relationships by aligning andranking genetic similarities and differences.

The direct ancestor to the virus, sharingthe greatest genetic similarity, could bethought of as its parent. Variants sharing thatsame parent sequence but with enoughchanges to make them distinct from eachother are like siblings. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, the South African variant, B.1.351,and the U.K. variant, B.1.1.7, are siblings.

Building a family tree is complicated bythe fact that different analysis parameterscan give different results: The same set ofgenetic sequences can produce two verydifferent family trees.

For SARS-CoV-2, phylogenetic analysisproves particularly difficult. Though tens ofthousands of SARS-CoV-2 sequences arenow available, they don’t differ from oneanother enough to form a clear picture ofhow they’re related to each other.

The current debate: Wild host orlab spillover?

Could SARS-CoV-2 have been releasedfrom a research lab? Although current evi-dence implies that this is not the case, 18prominent virologists recently suggestedthat this question should be further investi-gated.

Although there has been speculationabout SARS-CoV-2 being engineered in alab, this possibility seems highly unlikely.When comparing the genetic sequence ofwild RaTG13 with SARS-CoV-2, differencesare randomly spread across the genome. Inan engineered virus, there would be clearblocks of changes that represent introducedsequences from a different viral source.

There is one unique sequence in theSARS-CoV-2 genome that codes for a partof the spike protein that seems to play animportant role in infecting people. Interes-tingly, a similar sequence is found in theMERS coronavirus that causes a diseasesimilar to COVID-19.

Though it is not clear how SARS-CoV-2acquired these sequences, viral evolution

suggests they arose from natural processes.Viruses accumulate changes either bygenetic exchange with other viruses andtheir hosts, or by random mistakes duringreplication. Viruses that gain a geneticchange that gives them a reproductiveadvantage would typically continue to pass iton through replication. That MERS andSARS-CoV-2 share a similar sequence inthis part of the genome suggests that it na-turally evolved in both and spread becauseit helps them infect human cells.

Where to go from here?

Figuring out the origin of SARS-CoV-2could give us clues to understand and pre-dict future pandemics, but we may neverknow exactly where it came from. Regard-less of how the SARS-CoV-2 jumped intohumans, it’s here now, and it’s probably hereto stay. Going forward, researchers need tocontinue monitoring its spread, and get asmany people vaccinated as possible.

The Conversation Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 11

How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it’s so tricky

* Cont. from page 4* Section 20 (1) f & g prescribe that the

functions of the ICAC shall be to, interalia, 'monitor... the implementation of anycontract awarded by a public body, with aview to ensuring that no irregularity orimpropriety is involved therein'; and'examine the practices and procedures ofany public body in order to facilitate thediscovery of acts of corruption and tosecure the revision of methods of work orprocedures which, in its opinion, may beconducive to corruption'. That seems tobe too heavy a load on the shoulders ofthe Commission, isn't it, what with somany cases still under investigation?

There is no doubt that ICAC is confront-ed with a whole load of cases. It has quite anumerous staff. If ICAC carries out its func-tion without guette figir and in total independ-ence from the government, it could haveachieved more.

* After all is said, will it be correct tosay that The Prevention of Corruption Act2002 does provide the adequate frame-work and mechanism to fight corruption?

The law is there. Its proper functioningdepends on the holders of power within theICAC. The perception in the public is that it isnot functioning independently. Why, it maybe asked, but this would be a rhetoricalquestion.

ICAC's Parliamentary“The perception in the public is

that ICAC is not functioning independently. Why, it may be

asked, but this would be a rhetorical question”

Marilyn J. RoossinckProfessor of Plant Pathology and

Environmental Microbiology, Penn State

* Suite de la page 10Face aux défis, le gouvernement était mû par

la volonté de mettre en œuvre une politique prag-matique pour réussir le décollage économique.Toutes les opportunités furent saisies. Une cam-pagne agressive de promotion fut entrepriseauprès des industriels de Hong Kong pour faireconnaitre les avantages découlant de notre appar-tenance à la Convention de Lomé signée en 1975s’agissant de l’entrée au sein du marché européende produits manufacturés à Maurice.

Le pays tout entier fut considéré comme unezone franche, modèle originale à l’époque, quipermettait aux entreprises de s’installer dans lesgrandes agglomérations afin de faciliter l’accès àla main d’œuvre, en évitant les problèmes detransport. Des facilités hors-taxes furent octroyéespour l’importation des matières premières et l’ex-portation des produits finis. Des soutiens furentaccordés pour la construction des bâtimentsindustriels dans des centres stratégiques. Plustard, l’Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)rendit l’accès au marché américain plus facile pourles produits mauriciens. D'autres emboiteront lepas aux pionniers Hongkongais, y compris desgrands groupes mauriciens. Ces mesures réus-sirent en l’espace de quelques années à résorberle chômage et à donner un coup de fouet à ladiversification industrielle.

Le secteur offshore prit son envol grâce autraité de non-double imposition avec l’Inde. Toutun nouveau secteur prenait naissance, qui allertransformer le pays en un centre financier reconnudans le monde. Une nouvelle génération de pro-fessionnels apportait un plus au développementéconomique. Le secteur hôtelier et touristique pritde l’essor et constitua assez rapidement unsecteur économique important apportant unediversification dans l’offre d’emplois aux jeunesMauriciens.

Transformation économique

Anerood Jugnauth présidait à cette transfor-mation économique. Il faisait confiance à ses mi-nistres et à ses collaborateurs, déléguant lesresponsabilités. Il prenait rapidement les décisionsrequises pour enlever les obstacles au développe-ment économique et à la modernisation du pays.En retour, ses ministres étaient motivés et appor-taient des résultats. La compétence était pri-

vilégiée au niveau des différentes institutions et le respectde la loi et de l’ordre ainsi que du judiciaire sécurisait lesinvestisseurs locaux et étrangers. Les baisses des taux del’impôt sur le revenu et les facilités duty-free accordées parle ministre des Finances sur les produits tels que le textileet les appareils vidéos aidaient à créer un « feel-good fac-tor », ce qui poussait les Mauriciens à donner le meilleur

d’eux-mêmes sachant que l’effort était récompensé.Malgré les problèmes politiques internes au MSM suite

à l’épisode "Amsterdam Boys", la révocation de SirSatcam Boolell en 1984 et l’arrestation choquante de SirGaëtan Duval en 1989, et les alliances quelquefois con-joncturelles qui en découlèrent, le système mis en placefonctionna de façon satisfaisante dans la stabilité pendantles années 80 et le pays put progresser vers undéveloppement équilibré, gommant progressivement lesdifférences entre villes et campagnes.

En accordant la majorité à Anerood Jugnauth aux élec-tions générales de 1983, les Mauriciens pouvaient-ilsdeviner qu’ils avaient donné naissance à un homme d’Étatà la personnalité complexe, avec ses forces et ses fai-blesses, et que ce dernier allait marquer l’Histoire dupays?

Dan Callikan

Opinion Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 12

SAJ : Naissance d’un homme d’Etat“Pendant la campagne électorale de 1983, malgré sa

santé fragile, Anerood Jugnauth mettait la main à lapâte pour l’organisation des activités du parti et

descendait sur le terrain pour sillonner les circonscriptionset contrer les thématiques de l'opposition. Cette proximitéet cette mobilisation constante sera sans doute capitale

pour se dépêtrer du désastre potentiel de l'affaire dite des"Amsterdam Boys" qui éclate en 1985...”

Unwind Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 13

AAprivate is alone on sentry duty whenthe phone rings in his box.

"Hello, hello," a voice shouts down thephone. "Are there many vehicles in theofficers' car park?"

The guard steps out of his box andlooks around. He finds a solitary Bentleyparked. He goes back to his box andanswers the caller.

"Only that fat bastard General Smith'scar," he says.

"Do you know who is speaking toyou?" booms the voice down the line."This is General Smith."

"Do you know who is on line now?" thesentry replies.

"No," General Smith answers."Well, don't shout fat fellow," the sentry

replies.* * *

Fight between husbandand wife

Both are M.A. in English literature, andinstead of shouting, abusing or physicalforce, they exchange poems to eachother.

Wife

I wrote your name on sand it got washed away...

I wrote your name in air, it was blown away. Then I wrote your name on my heart & I got heart attack.Husband

God saw me hungry, he created pizza. He saw me thirsty, he created Pepsi. He saw me in the dark, he created light. He saw me without problems, he created you!

Wife

Twinkle twinkle little star You should know what you are And once you know what you are Mental hospital is not so far! Husband

The rain makes all things beautiful. The grass and flowers too. If rain makes all things beautiful

Why doesn't it rain on you?Wife

Roses are red; Violets are blue Monkeys like you should be kept in zoo!Husband

Don't feel so angry, you will find me there too Not in a cage but laughing at you!

Teacher: "Can you give the names oftwo great kings who have brought happi-ness and peace in people's lives?"

Student: "Smoking and drinking."* * *

Girl: "Nice mobile, where did you buyit?"Boy: "I won this in a running race."Girl: "How many people participated?"Boy: "Mobile owner, policeman and I."

* * *Teacher: "Can you define who is a

teacher?"Student: "A lecturer is a person who

has a very bad habit of speaking whenothers are enjoying their sleep."

* * *Boy: "You a girl, drinking whisky?"Girl: "Then should I change my genderfor 2-4 pegs?"

* * *Baba Ramdev says for good health

one should control one's saas (breath)

Man: "How to explain Baba that whenone does not have control on one's wife,how can one control one's mother-in -law(saas)?"

* * *Customer: "Waiter, make a special

tea that that would make me dance."Waiter: "Sir, we use cow milk, not

snake's milk?"* * *

A woman dies. In heavenshe sees a wall full of clocks.She asks angel: What arethese for?

Angel answers: Theseare lie clocks; every personhas a lie clock! Wheneveryou lie on earth, the clockmoves.

The woman pointstowards a clock and asks:Whose clock is this?

Angel says: It's Gandhi's.It never moved, showing thathe never told a lie.

The woman asks: Whereare the clocks of married men?

The angel replies: Those are in ouroffice; we use them as 'office fans'.

She then asked, what about the married women?

The angel replied: Those are keptout... they are generating electricity!

Thomas Edison and a note

OOne day the youngThomas Edison came

home and handed a paperto his mother from hisschool. He told her, "Myteacher gave this paper tome and told me to give itonly to you."

His mother's eyes weretearful as she read the letter out loud to her son."Your son is a genius. This

school is too small for him and doesn't have goodteachers for training him. Please teach him your-self."

After years, Edison's mother died and he wasrenowned as one of the greatest inventors of the century. One day he was going through his old fam-ily things. Suddenly, he noticed a folded paper inthe corner of a drawer. He took it and opened it up.

On the paper was written: "Your son is addled.We won't let him come to school anymore."

Thomas Edison cried for hours and then hewrote in his diary: "Thomas Alva Edison was anaddled child that, by a hero mother, became thegenius of the century."

alltimeshortstories.com

Life's Stories

The most beautifulheart

AAyoung man was proud of hishealthy and beautiful heart. One

day, standing in the middle of the town,he proclaimed that he had the mostbeautiful heart in the whole valley. Alarge crowd gathered to have a look athis heart. His heart was smooth, shinyand looked very healthy. Indeed, theman had the most beautiful heart in thevalley, everyone agreed.

The proud young man felt delightedand boasted his perfect heart whicheveryone admired. Suddenly, a voicefrom the crowd said, "Your heart is notas beautiful as mine." The young mansearched for the person behind thevoice and an old man appeared in fronthim.

"Show us your heart if you believeyou have got more beautiful heart thanmine," said the young man. The oldman carefully showed his heart. Thecrowd and the young man looked atthe old man's heart. The heart wasbeating strongly and healthily but it

was not smooth and shiny as theyoung man's heart. Instead, it hadscars all over it. It had places wheresome pieces of the heart had beenremoved and other pieces were put in.The other pieces didn't fit perfectly andthere were several uneven edges. Insome places, there were deep gougeswhere some pieces were missing.

The crowd laughed at the old man'sheart. "How can he claim that he hasthe most beautiful heart when it is allscared and uneven," they thought.

The young man looked at the oldman's heart and laughed. "You mustbe kidding. Compare your heart andmine. My heart looks perfect andsmooth and yours is a mess of scarsand tears."

"Yes, your heart looks perfect, but Iwould never trade your heart withmine," said the old man. "Every scar inmy heart represents a person whom Ihave given my love. I tear a piece ofmy heart and give to them. Often, myloved one gives me back a piece oftheir heart which fits into the emptyplace in my heart. Since everyoneloves each other in a different way,their piece of heart may not perfectly fitmy heart, so you can see some rough

edges. These scars and rough edgesremind me of the love we shared," hecontinued.

"Sometimes I would give a piece ofmy heart, but the other person may notreturn a piece of his heart to me. Theseare the empty gouges. Although thesegouges are painful, these remind me ofthe love I have for these people too.So, do you now see what a true beau-ty?" asked the old man.

The young man and the crowdstood silently with tears running downtheir cheeks. The young man walked tothe old man, reached into his perfectyoung and beautiful heart, ripped apiece out of it and offered it to the manwith trembling hands.

The old man gratefully received hisoffering, placed it in his heart and thentook a piece from his old heart andplaced it in the young man's heart.

The young man looked at his heart,it did not look shiny and smooth like itused to. But it was now more beautifulbecause he could feel the love fromthe old man's heart flowing into him.

They embraced and walked awayside by side.

Wellness Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 14

Healthy Living

5 foods that youneed to have close

to bedtime forweight loss

It is a common notion that munching late at night, especially close to bedtime can derail your weight loss

journey. But as per another theory going to bed with arumbling tummy can also sabotage your weight loss goal.Hunger disturbs your sleep at night and makes you crankyin the morning. As a result, you eat more and often makeunhealthy food choices. To stay on track and lose weighteffectively, it is better to go to bed sans hunger pangs.There are plenty of food options that you can munch onlate at night to curb your hunger and also get a peacefulsleep. Here are a few food items, as reported by TOI, thatyou can eat.

YoghurtHigh in protein and low calories, yoghurt is extremely

filling and can help you build muscles even when yousleep. Having a bowl of fresh yoghurt at night can evenimprove the digestion process for those suffering fromdigestive issues. A study published in the AmericanJournal of Physiology suggests that eating yoghurt atnight right before sleeping can stimulate overnight proteinsynthesis. This can help in muscle growth and repair.Besides, the micronutrient in it can aid in weight loss.

Bread and peanut butterIf you are looking for something more filling then have

1 or 2 slices of whole-grain bread with some peanut

butter. Rich in protein, peanuts can help in muscle repairand regeneration. They are also high in tryptophan, anamino acid that puts you to sleep. When paired withwhole-grain your body can easily absorb the amino acid inpeanut due to the presence of Vitamin B. The two fooditems can also boost your metabolism and help you burnmore calories in the morning.

AlmondsThere couldn't be anything better than having a

handful of nuts when hunger strikes you late at night. Lowin calories and packed with essential nutrients, almondscan repair muscle overnight and increase satiety. The treenut can reduce belly fat and also help you maintain theoverall body mass index. Have a handful of unsalted,soaked and peeled almonds at night for better results.

BananaBanana is mostly believed to be a fattening fruit. But

actually, it is loaded with nutrients that can help you sleeppeacefully at night and even aid in weight loss. The fibercontent in it can keep you full for a longer time and evencurb your craving for sugary stuff. Rich in potassium andmagnesium, the yellow fruit can also help your muscles

relax. Loaded with nutrients, bananas can also improvesleep quality, reduce stress and alleviate muscle cramps.

Cottage cheeseCottage cheese is another perfect bedtime snack for

all those trying to shed kilos. Rich in casein, cottagecheese can keep you full all night and can also be benefi-cial in muscle repair and regeneration. Besides, it alsocontains tryptophan,an amino acid that

can help you fall asleep faster. The findings of a studypublished in the British Journal of Nutrition suggest thathaving just 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese 30 minutesbefore bedtime could speed up your metabolism and canimprove your overall health.

When it comes to parenting, every parent strives to give his or her best.

But what exactly is good parenting? Is itinculcating good values in your offspring oris it giving them your precious time? Well,good parenting is much simpler than itlooks like. A 70-year-old detailed studywhich took into account extensive data of

over 70,000 kids will help you in this matter.

Referred to as 'British Birth Cohorts',this study began in the UK after World WarII. The scientists were keen to understandthe parenting condition of mothers in thewar stricken country.

They did a survey of every woman whogave birth over a one week period in 1946.In the end, they collected over 14,000detailed questionnaires pertaining to thebirth aspect during that time.

The scientists took into account diffe-rent generations of kids over time, whichgave them a sample size of 70,000 kidsover 70 years. Here are some excerpts onhow to be a successful parent. A report byTOI...

Conversations - Talking to your kidsand listening to them plays a big role inparenting. Hearing your kids out is asimportant as talking to them.

Making it clear you have plans fortheir future - Sketching out a future planfor your kid is an essential part of growingup. The only thing you need to ensure isthat you don't dump your own unfulfilleddreams on them. Being emotionally warm-Cater to your kid's emotional needs morethan anything. Create a cozy environmentwhich will make him trust you with every-thing.

Taking them on trips - Family tripsand adventures are the best way to breakaway from the monotony of life. This willalso give you and your kid ample of time tobond.

Habit of reading - Inculcate the habitof reading in your kid's daily schedule.Young minds can quickly adapt to thingsand he or she might form this good habitfor a lifetime.

Some of these tips come out as Make sure you scoop out some time fromyour daily schedule to spend with yourkids. 'Quality time' does not always meandoing an activity together or being produc-tive. Just sitting with your kids, talking tothem about their day and bonding withthem is enough to make your kids feelloved and valued.

A 70-year-old study reveals the secret to raise successful kids

Entertainment Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 15From Shahid-Mira to Shilpa-Raj

Popular Bollywoodcelebs who are rockingan arranged marriage

Marriage is a very important social institution. Everyperson wants to get a perfect match, but the criteria

for choosing the partner is different. In love marriages,people prefer to choose their partners as per their wishand understanding, whereas in case of arranged mar-riages, individuals prefer partners chosen by their familyor parents. There is a continuous debate regarding thebest way to choose the partner for marriage.

Well, here's looking at some of the prominentBollywood celebrities who opted for arranged marriage,as reported by Pooja Nayak of Times Now and can't getenough of the marital bliss. The list includes celebs rightfrom Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor to Govind, Shilpa Shetty,Esha Deol to the new-age couple, Shahid Kapoor andMira Rajput.

All the above-mentioned celebrities have been marriedfor years and they have often gone on record to mentionhow happy they are in this arranged marriage set-up. Afterall, arranged marriage is more like falling in love after tyingthe knot so it saves the excitement and adventure foryears to come unlike love marriages which makes youcompletely aware of your partner before settling down.

Shahid Kapoor-Mira RajputIt was on July 7, 2015 when Shahid and Mira got mar-

ried. They are blessed with two children - daughter Mishaand younger son Zain. The cuties were introduced to eachother through their families who belong to the same com-munity. Shahid and Mira had once revealed how they hit it

off in the very first meeting despite sharing a huge agegap. They both were honest about themselves andaccepted each other without any baggage attached.Shahid also admires how maturely Mira had blended withhis life and has embraced parenthood with open arms.

Madhuri Dixit and Dr Sriram NeneMadhuri got married to Dr Nene, a cardiovascular

surgeon in the year1999. After her marriage, she settleddown in the US with her husband for many years beforesettling down in Mumbai. They have two boys - Arin andRyan. Last year, Madhuri had made her singing debut withher son playing the piano and it had created a lot of waveson the internet.

Shilpa Shetty and Raj KundraShilpa Shetty got married to Raj Kundra, a business-

man, in 2009. The couple didn't exactly have an arrangedmarriage but they were also not someone who painted thetown red for years before taking the plunge. Their inten-tions were clear right from the time they met. Turns outRaj and Shilpa met through a business alliance andinstantly connected.

Raj had just parted ways from his ex-wife Kavita andalthough his past had created some hurdles for Shilpa's

future but soon things were clear and in no time, Raj andShilpa announced to the world that they were getting married. The couple is happily blessed with two children -son Viaan and daughter Samisha.

Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka AlvaVivek Oberoi got married to Priyanka Alva in 2010. In

an old interview with HT, the actor had said, how gratefulhe is to have married Priyanka. He believes that marriageis a deep bond that goes beyond attraction. "I didn't wantto compromise on who I married. I was deeply lonelybefore I met Priyanka. But now I feel like I'm home. It hasbeen five years. We are blessed with two amazing children, and every day, I fall deeper in love with my wife.An arranged marriage also brings with it the romance ofdiscovering each other over time," he was quoted saying.

Govinda and SunitaGovinda got married to Sunita in 1987. They share one

of the strongest marriages in B-town. It's believed thatSunita was Govinda's mothers' choice. The couple hastwo children - daughter, Narmmadaa Ahuja, and a son,Yashvardhan Ahuja. Narmmadaa was born on July 16,1988, and is fondly known as Tina and is an actress byprofession. Yashvardhan was born in 1997 and is gearingup for his Bollywood debut.

Five InspiringDialogues fromBollywood films

Bollywood is often seen as a land ofdreams, aspirations, hopes, and inspi-

ration. Several films have inspired us inour lives either through their storyline, acting, or more often from their dialogues.

Zindagi Jeene Ke Do Hi Tarike HoteHain - Ek Jo Ho Raha Hai Hone Do,

Bardaasht Karte Jao Ya Phir JimmedariUthao Usse Badalne Ki -- is the populardialogue from the famous film Rang DeBasanti. This dialogue has a lasting impacton the minds of the viewers. Many suchdialogues gave the correct dose of inspira-tion. From Ranveer Singh's 'Apna TimeAayega' in Gully Boy to Barfi, these hitBollywood films entertained and also gavememorable one-liners that will boost yourspirits...

Pinkvilla has compiled five dialoguesfor you. Take a look:

1. Dear Zindagi Don't let the past blackmail your

present… to ruin a beautifulfuture

Directed by Gauri Shinde, thefilm stars Alia Bhatt and ShahRukh Khan in the lead roles. Thestory is about a budding cine-matographer who is upset withher life. She meets a free-spiritedpsycho-logist who helps her togain a new perspective about herlife. The film received goodreviews from the audience as italso speaks about mental health.

2. Barfi Life mein sabse bada risk

hota hai risk nahi lenaThe film, directed by Anurag

Basu, was released in 2012. Ithas left a mark on the audience'smind. The film stars Ranbir

Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and IleanaD'Cruz in the lead roles, with SaurabhShukla, Ashish Vidyarthi, Jisshu Sengupta,and Roopa Ganguly in supporting roles.The film was critically acclaimed for its per-formances, direction, screenplay, cine-matography, the music. The film was oneof the highest-grossing Bollywood films of2012 in India and overseas.

3. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Insaan ka kartavya hota hai koshish

karna. Kaamyabi, nakaamyabi sab uskehaath mein hai

The film's name only says 'You only live

once' so why make it boring. A 2011released film was directed by Zoya Akhtar.The film features Hrithik Roshan, AbhayDeol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, andKalki Koechlin. The story shows threechildhood friends reuniting for a three-week road trip. During the trip, each friendchooses a dangerous sport for the groupto participate in it.

4. Super 30 Aaj raja ka beta raja nahi banega ...

raja wohi banega joh haqdaar hoga The film is a biopic of a world-

renowned mathematics teacher and edu-cator Anand Kumar and his educationalinstitute. The film features Hrithik Roshan,Mrunal Thakur, Nandish Sandhu, AmitSadh, Virendra Saxena, Pankaj Tripathi,and Aditya Srivastava in pivotal roles.

5. Bharat Ummeed, Hope Duniya Ki Sabse Badi

Takat Hai… Or Isi Takat Ne Hum Sub KoZinda Rakha Hai

Salman Khan starrer film may not havean inspiring storyline but the dialogues ofthe film were sure. Like this one whichspeaks on hope is an impactful dialogue.One should never lose hope in his or herlife. The film stars Salman Khan, KatrinaKaif, Sunil Grover, Disha Patani, andJackie Shroff. Tabu makes a friendlyappearance.

Entertainment Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 16

Yami Gautam marries AdityaDhar: 'They were seeing each

other even during Uri' The sudden marriage of actress Yami Gautam and

director Aditya Dhar has taken even their friends bysurprise, reports in.style.yahoo. An informed source fromthe URI unit reveals, "They didn't really tell anyone aboutit. But even during the shooting of Uri, the vibes betweenthe two were very warm. When Aditya would explain ashot to Yami his voice would soften. The others on the setwere like, 'What is going on?' Soon it became clear thatthey were a couple."

Absolutely mum on their relationship, Aditya and Yamihad originally planned to wait until the end of the pandemic to get married. But since the pandemic seemednowhere near an end the couple decided to have an intimate wedding with immediate family members presentto witness the holy union.

Aditya and Yami are the first Bollywood couple thisyear to take the plunge. There are other couples from theentertainment industry in the queue waiting for the pandemic to end before taking the plunge.

'RadhaKrishn' has been entertaining viewers consistent-ly in these trying times with its storyline and showcasing

many unknown facets of Krishna and Radha. While thecurrent track focuses on Lord Hanuman and his story withLord Krishn, the audience are in for a treat in their

upcoming days.The upcoming highpoint in the show

will bring to light the story of GoddessAlakshmi the elder sister of GoddessLakshmi who is deemed to be the harbin-ger of misfortune and poverty. It isbelieved that Alakshmi was born duringthe churning of the milky ocean or theSamudra Manthan. And hence, she is theelder sister of Maa Lakshmi. She as theasura (demon) of inauspiciousness andgrief is the opposite of Lakshmi the god-dess of auspiciousness and joy.

In the upcoming episodes, Radha(Mallika Singh) will portray her characterto bring forth her story to the world andaudience, reports Times of India.

Speaking about her portrayal ofAlakshmi, Mallika Singh said, "Essayingher character has been a challenge initself. I have been given a new look for

this new storyline. I will be donning multiple looks, one ofwhich I will be seen in black attire with dark make-up.While playing an adverse role on television is a new stintfor me I am excited to venture into this new genre."

Mallika Singh to portray the role of Alakshmi in 'RadhaKrishn'

Kunal Bhan, who was last seen onthe TV show Sanjivani, made a

conscious decision to take a breakfrom acting after the pandemic struck.The actor lives with his grandmotherand didn't want to risk her health bystepping out to work in such chal-lenging times, reports Neha Maheshof TNN.

He shares, "Sanjivani wrapped uparound the time when the first waveof Covid-19 took us by storm lastyear. This was followed by shootscoming to a standstill. I could havetaken up work once the shootingresumed, but I live with my grand-mother and didn't want to put herthrough any risk. Also, a lot of myactor friends were testing positive.So, I decided to stay put, make sureno one came in contact with her and Ididn't become a carrier. I would feelvery guilty if anything happened toher."

The pandemic also played spoil-sport with his plans of meeting hisfamily that lives in the Middle East. Ithas been over a year since he met

them last. He says, "The original planwas to go home to my parents afterSanjivani ended. But flights were sus-

pended because of thepandemic. Besides, itwouldn't have been idealon my part to leave mygrandmother alone insuch a situation."

Kunal now plans to getback to work by the end ofthe year and is hopingthat things will improve bythen. He has alreadystarted auditioning forparts. He says, "Justwhen I got back in fullswing, the second wavehit us. So, it's a case ofsheer bad luck for me.When I realised that weare back to where wewere last year, I decidedto utilise the time produc-tively. It was taxing to sitidle at home - it was dulland boring. So, this timearound, I have startedcreating content for mysocial media pages. For

now, that's keeping me creativelybusy."

Sanjivani actor Kunal Bhan reveals why he took a break from television

Kunal Bhan (left) with his costars in Sanjivani

Yukti Kapoor thanks her starsfor Agnifera

Bubbly beauty Yukti Kapoor is thankful to her stars forblessing her with an amazing show and star cast.

The actress, who has been enchanting audience withher character Ragini in &TV's Agnifera, says that the dailyis like a blessing in her life.

She adds, "I am a happy soul now as I am loved by

the audience. I am glad and have no regrets as I haveearned fame, financially too I am satisfied. I got manyshades to play in this particular show. Agnifera has beena blessing in my career."

Yukti feels the series has also been a learning experience for her.

"I have learnt a lot as a lead debutant in the series. Ihave evolved as an actor. Now, I understand manyaspects of the acting profile which I was not aware of earlier."

Talking about the difficulty faced during the show, she

shares, "The most difficult part was that I am feminineand the character is a total tomboy. I had to learn fewnuances of a tomboy girl's personality. It has been a challenge for me. I thank my producer, director and co-actors for being patient with me."

Yukti believes that Ragini's daring nature connectsher with fans. "The fearless factor of Ragini is what Iwould love to adapt in myself. I think that is the one thingthat connect audience to my character. Although, she is astrong girl but she has a pure soul," ends the lovelyactress.

Watch’s On Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 17

07.00 Dessin Anime10.35 Serial: Open Heart11.00 Mag: Le Saviez Vous?11.10 Tele: Soleil Levant12.00 Le Journal12.25 Tele: Le Prix Du Désir12.55 Doc: L’art Et La Matiere14.00 D.Anime: The Hive14.37 D.Anime: La Famille Blaireau14.49 D.Anime: Spongo, Fuzz And...14.56 D.Anime: Pet Alien15.12 D.Anime: Cosmic Quantum...15.35 Film: Rock Dog17.05 Serial: Backstage18.00 Live: Samachar18.30 Serial: Jijaji Chhat Par Hain18.56 Local Prod: Kala19.30 Journal & La Meteo20.35 Local: Generation J21.05 Film: For The Love Of George23.10 Le Journal

01.45 Film: Dominion03.04 Serial: Shades Of Blue03.49 Film: Maudie 05.40 Tele: Muneca Brava07.04 Film: The Big Gundown09.00 Serial: Mission: Impossible09.48 Tele: Daniella10.35 Tele: Tanto Amor11.01 Serial: Shades Of Blue12.00 Film: Maudie13.30 Tele: Muneca Brava14.15 Mag: Hollywood On Set14.45 Film: The Big Gundown16.41 Serial: Mission: Impossible17.23 Serial: Absentia18.05 Tele: Daniella19.00 Tele: Tanto Amor20.05 Tele: Sinu, Rio Des Pasiones20.30 Serial: Imposters21.15 Film: Predestination23.30 Serial: Mission: Impossible

08.00 Film: Mera Haque12.04 / 19.54 - Sanjivani12.26 / 20.11 -

Radha Krishna12.48 / 20.32 Agnphera13.09 / 21.09 -

Bade Acche Lagte Hai13.31 / 21.24 - Zindagi Ki Mehek13.51 / 21.59 - Naagin Season 314.33 / 22.25 - Ikyawann15.11 / 22.56 -

Mere Sai - Shraddha AurSaburi

15.18 Film: Bajatey RahoStarring: Tusshar Kapoor,

Dolly Ahluwalia18.00 Live: Samacher18.30 Kundali Bhagya18.52 Serial: Ek Rishta

Saajhedari Ka

00.31 Serial: Imposters01.28 Film: Hollows Grove02.48 Serial: Shades Of Blue03.29 Film: Mes Enfants Pris En...05.39 Serial: Imposters06.47 Film: For The Love Of...09.00 Serial: Mission: Impossible09.45 Tele: Daniella10.35 Tele: Tanto Amor11.01 Serial: Shades Of Blue12.00 Film: Mes Enfants Pris En...13.30 Tele: Muneca Brava14.45 Film: For The Love Of...16.40 Serial: Mission: Impossible17.28 Serial: Imposters18.10 Tele: Daniella19.00 Tele: Tanto Amor20.05 Tele: Sinu, Rio Des Pasiones20.30 Serial: 19-221.15 Film: Julie Et Julia23.13 Tele: Muneca Brava23.55 Serial: Mission: Impossible

01.27 Film: The Evil Within03.08 Serial: Shades Of Blue03.49 Serial: Island Doctor05.18 Tele: Muneca Brava06.44 Film: Julie Et Julia09.00 Serial: Mission: Impossible09.56 Tele: Daniella10.45 Tele: Tanto Amor11.25 Serial: Shades Of Blue12.00 Serial: Island Doctor13.35 Tele: Muneca Brava14.16 Mag: Hollywood On Set14.48 Film: Searching16.50 Serial: Mission: Impossible17.29 Serial: 19-218.15 Tele: Daniella19.00 Tele: Tanto Amor20.05 Tele: Sinu, Rio Des Pasiones20.30 Serial: 19-221.14 Serial: Supercopter21.48 Film: Finding Altamira

07.15 Dessin Anime10.34 Serial: Oh Yuck!11.10 Tele: Soleil Levant12.00 Le Journal12.25 Tele: Le Prix Du Désir12.55 Doc: L’art Et La Matiere14.05 D.Anime: The Hive14.38 D.Anime: La Famille Blaireau14.51 D.Anime: Spongo, Fuzz, And...15.02 D.Anime: Pet Alien15.40 Film: Peter Pan (2003)17.30 Magazine: Origami17.44 Serial: Magic Mania17.55 Doc: A Question Of Science18.00 Live: Samachar18.30 Serial: Jijaji Chhat Par Hain18.55 Local Prod: Ayush19.30 Journal & La Meteo20.25 Prod Indepen: Lottotech21.20 Film: The Quiet Hour

Stars: Dakota Blue Richards, Karl Davies...23.10 Local: Le Journal

MBC 1 MBC 2 MBC 2 MBC 3 MBC 3 10.00 Serial: CID10.48 Serial: Ye Vaada Raha12.04 Film: Parvarish

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Shammi Kapoor..

15.00 Serial: Ek Deewana Tha15.25 Serial: Aamhi Doghi15.45 Serial: Bava Maradullu16.08 Serial: Apoorva Raagangal16.29 Serial: Sila16.49 Serial: Imtihaan17.13 Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala17.34 Telugu - Premabhishekam18.00 Serial: Colourful Bone18.30 DDI Magazine19.00 Zournal Kreol19.30 DDI Magazine20.00 Local: Tamil Programme20.30 Film: Bluff Master

Star: Shammi Kapoor, Saira Banu, Pran

07.00 DDI Live09.00 Serial: Chacha Bhatija09.24 Serial: Chota Bheem10.00 Pyar Ka Dard Meetha Meeth12.00 Film: Saaz Aur Awaaz14.22 DDI Magazine15.00 Serial: Ek Deewana Tha15.21 Aamhi Doghi15.44 Bava Maradallu16.01 Apoorva Raagangal16.25 Serial: Sila16.48 Serial: Imtihaan17.12 Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala17.33 Serial: Kulvadhu18.00 Serial: Colourful Bone18.30 Serial: DDI Magazine19.00 Zournal Kreol19.30 DDI Magazine20.00 Programme In Marathi20.30 Film: Pahila Paul22.29 Live: DDI Live

06.00 Rev: The Global Auto...06.26 Doc: Good News From...06.52 Mag: Check In07.26 Mag: Made In Germany08.19 Doc: Ville En Fête10.37 Local: Klip Seleksion11.19 Doc: The Neanderthals12.04 Mag: The Global Auto and...12.56 Mag: Check In13.22 Mag: Le Saviez-Vous?14.23 Doc: Ville En Fête14.50 Doc: Snapshots15.16 Doc: Les Miserables16.41 Local: Klip Seleksion17.23 Doc: The Neanderthals18.00 Mag: Motorweek18.30 Mag: The World From...19.00 Student Support Prog...20.04 Mag: Tendance XXI20.40 Doc: The World From...21.06 Doc: Comme Un Poisson...

06.00 Mag: [email protected] Mag: Voa Connect07.21 Mag: In Good Shape07.47 Doc: Amazing Gardens08.19 Mag: Future Mag10.03 Mag: Global 300010.29 Mag: Washington Forum11.04 Mag: [email protected] Mag: Arts And Culture12.05 Mag: Voa Connect13.06 Doc: Amazing Gardens13.25 Mag: Future Mag13.54 Doc: Tresors Oublies De La..15.16 Mag: Global 300015.53 Mag: Washington Forum16.20 Mag: [email protected] Mag: Arts And Culture18.02 Mag: Rev: The Global Auto...19.00 Open Univ: Student Support19.31 Mag: Made In Germany20.40 Doc: Ville En Fête

06.00 Local: Klip Seleksion06.45 Local: Sur Prise07.10 D. Anime: La Ligue Des...10.35 Serial: Oh Yuck!11.00 Mag: Le Saviez-Vous?12.00 Le Journal12.25 Tele: Le Prix Du Désir12.52 Local: Le Rendez Vous Avec..13.44 Local: Zanfan Nou Zil14.25 D.Anime: The Hive15.00 D.Anime: La Famille Blaireau15.11 D.Anime: Spongo, Fuzz and...15.40 Film: Cop Dog17.40 Serial: Magic Mania18.00 Live: Samachar18.30 Serial: Jijaji Chhat Par Hain18.55 Local: Tirth Yatra19.30 Le Journal20.15 Film: Bala

Stars: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Yami Gautam

10.00 Karm Phal Data Shani12.05 Film: Rakhi

Starring: Ashok Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Pradeep Kumar and Mehmood

15.00 Serial: Ek Deewana Tha15.23 Aamhi Doghi15.51 Serial: Imtihaan17.09 Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala17.30 Local: Amrit Vaani16.53 Serial: Imtihaan17.09 Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala18.00 Serial: Colourful Bone18.30 Serial: Ghar Pahucha Da... 19.00 Zournal Kreol19.30 DDI Magazine20.10 Local: Les Grandes Lignes20.36 Local Prod: Evasion21.19 Film: Legionnaire

Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Daniel

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06.00 Mag: Motorweek06.25 Mag: Vous Et Nous07.28 Doc: Garden Party08.20 Doc: The World From Above09.51 Mag: Business Africa10.10 Mag: Focus On Europe10.36 Doc: Fun, Sun And Guns11.23 Mag: Motorweek13.44 Doc: The World From Above14.10 Doc: Comme Un Poisson...15.08 Mag: Business Africa16.46 Mag: Motorweek18.03 Mag: Eco India18.30 Mag: The World From...19.00 Student Support Prog...19.30 Mag: Tomorrow Today20.05 Mag: Science Ou Fiction20.30 Local: News (English)20.40 Doc: 360 GEO21.32 Doc: The Shah And The Ay...22.14 Doc: A Postcard From...

08.00 Film: Bajatey RahoStarring: Tusshar Kapoor, Dolly Ahluwalia

12.04 / 20.06 - Sanjivani12.24 / 20.26 - Radha Krishna12.44 / 20.02 - Agniphera13.14 / 20.46

Bade Acche Lagte Hai13.36 / 21.09 -

Zindagi Ki Mehek13.47 / 21.31 - Naagin Season 314.29 / 21.46 - Ikyawann14.50 / 21.59 - Mere Sai -

Shraddha Aur Saburi15.16 Film: Zor

Starring: Sunny Deol, Sushmita Sen, Milind Gunaji

18.00 Live: Samachar18.30 Kundali Bhagya19.00 Ek Rishta Saajhed Ka19.21 Bhakharwadi

08.00 Film: ZorStarring Sunny Deol, Sushmita Sen, Milind Gunaji

12.05 / 19.54 - Sanjivani12.22 / 20.11 -

Radha Krishna12.48 / 20.32 Agniphera13.07 / 21.09 -

Bade Acche Lagte Hai13.23 / 21.24 -

Zindagi Ki Mehek13.45 / 21.46 - Naagin14.29 / 21.59 - Sethji14.55 / 22.52 - Mere Sai15.20 Film: Mrityudand18.00 Samachar18.30 Kundali Bhagya18.51 Ek Rishta Saajhed Ka19.16 Serial: Bhakharwadi19.38 Serial: Siddhi Vinayak

PredestinationMardi 8 juin - 21.10

Mercredi 9 juin - 21.00

Jeudi 10 juin - 20.15

Stars: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Yami Gautam

Star: Sunny Deol,Sushmita Sen,Milind Gunaji

Mercredi 9 juin -15.20

Jeudi 10 juin - 21.15

The Quiet Hour

Avec: Jean-Claude Van Damme, AdewaleAkinnuoye, Agbaje, Daniel

Legionnaire

ZOR

Carnet Hebdo Mauritius Times Tuesday, June 8, 2021 18

TThere is no doubt that nearly a centuryof Mauritian history unfolded in the

tribute paid to Sir Anerood Jugnauth, former Prime Minister and President of theRepublic of Mauritius, who had been in thelimelight of Mauritian politics for sixdecades. Homage came pouring in fromacross the political, economic and socialspectrum of the country after news of hisdemise was made public on ThursdayJune 3rd. The sad news made people realize that Sir Anerood Jugnauth had definitely left the political landscape of thecountry, of which he was, undeniably, adominant giant. Only now that he is nomore do the people of Mauritius take fullmeasure of the extent of his commitmentto politics starting from the pre-Indepen-dence era.

The media coverage of his politicalcareer is most instructive and informativeto the younger generation and serves as areminder to one and all that SAJ's engage-ment spans almost three generations ofMauritian politics. He joined the charisma-tic highly-outspoken intellectual figures,the Bissoondoyal brothers of the Indepen-dent Forward Bloc, participated in delega-tions to England, actively engaged in elec-tions during the colonial days. His engage-ment with the MMM in the late 70s pavedthe way to a promising career marked byhis strong personality and commitment toplay a leading role in the political affairs ofthe country. After a brief passage in thePSM, the foundation of his own party in the1980s, the MSM, definitely made SAJ anindisputable player in the political arena toreckon with ever since.

Destiny plays a big part in life: this wasSAJ's firm belief, judging from severalstatements he made on his career andeven on the access of his son to the postof PM in 2017. What with his meeting withworld figures like Nehru and Nkrumah inEngland and the fire he sensed burning inthem that he felt would propel them to leadand shine as prominent figures in theirrespective countries, we must acknow-ledge that his career illustrated his belief indestiny. His lucky stars shone when several external factors combined to cre-ate a rapid development of the industrialzone, namely the investment from HongKong industrialists in the textile industry ata time when Sir Anerood was at the helmof power. The early eighties were a

continuation of hard times which SAJ tackled with a policy of austerity advocatedby the MMM, implying sacrifices peoplehad to go through. A flourishing tourismindustry and export in textiles signaled thelight at the end of the tunnel, lifted thousands of Mauritians out of poverty,increased purchasing power and improvedgeneral living conditions of thousands ofcitizens.

Why were other charismatic leadersovershadowed by SAJ? Seasoned politi-cians like Sir Satcam Boolell and SirGaëtan Duval were great patriots andequally committed to the development ofMauritius. No one denies the contributionof SGD, mainly to the tourism industry. Ingeneral perception of politics, the formerbelonged to the past batch of politiciansled by SSR while the latter was stridingbetween controversial early beginnings inpolitics and the popularity he enjoyedthanks to his outgoing personality and asuccessful tourism policy he spearheadedfor some years. Sir Anerood had a specialdrive to take the country forward, wasimbibed with a deep sense of patriotism toimprove the life of citizens, seized the righteconomic opportunities by engaging withbusiness barons of the private sector infurther investments which were set to openfurther avenues for economic develop-ment.

SAJ's strong personality and no-non-sense style of governance combined witha sense of discipline and principle of hardwork played a major role in building up apositive reputation in the population. Hisstraightforwardness in language and rela-

tions accounted for a few abrasive state-ments and blunt replies to critics. Thesewere generally brushed aside by a publicto whom his leadership qualities and contribution to economic developmentmattered more than the choice of wordsand tone in heated verbal exchangesamong politicians, or undiluted remarksSAJ nervously hurled at any group that hemay have antagonized. His village back-ground at Palma certainly left a deepimprint on the natural way he behaved,spoke and connected to others. I think hecared less for his image to please othersthan concrete actions he undertook.Anyway, politics is not an assembly ofchoir boys, but an arena for fighters to outsmart rivals, defend political agendas,convince others with the best arguments,promote one's worth and keep the reins ofpower in the party's hands.

What also endeared SAJ to the publicin a way that no other party leaders of thetime could was the simplicity of his villagebackground, which he kept all his life andnever disowned. He spoke spontaneouslyand naturally to one and all and remaineda gaon man all his life. Mauritius is full ofvillagers who appreciate the simple way ofconnecting between politicians and thepeople, a phenomenon which is oftenoverlooked in assessing merits anddefaults of public figures.

My brother Kantilall keeps a fond memory of the Prime Minister when hewas tasked by the management ofTouessrok Hotel to accompany him in boattrips. SAJ wore a beret and a scarf roundhis neck, and was in a most relaxed mood

on such occasions. Care was taken not topester the Prime Minister with questions;however, he spoke out and commentednaturally and simply on any topic. Heexpected no grand reception on privatevisits. My youngest sister Brinda wasinstructed to meet SAJ with an umbrella toprotect him from drops of rain a few yardsaway from the reception hall of Trou auxBiches Hotel. He declined the offer saying:I am fine. Protect yourself, daughter (motifi). She obeyed, and of course, she wasscolded by the administration for not insisting!. As for me, I always sensed an airof melancholy emanating from his face,which is perhaps linked to his childhoodexperiences.

I gauged the mood of the country onevery visit during my globe-trotting expe-rience in Europe, North Africa, the WestIndies, Africa and Asia. Conversations withrelatives, friends, casual encounters withall and sundry across the island conveyeda realistic overview of the hardships manyfolks were facing in the early 80s. Brightformer Q.E.C students were jobless aftercompleting their studies abroad. Once, Iinvited a couple of Sino-Mauritian girls tothe house at Triolet when they knocked atthe door to distribute leaflets for theCatholic Church in Port-Louis. They studied Accountancy and Architecture inAustralia, and were unemployed. Faithinstilled hope in them. Forget purchasingpower; austerity and belt-tightening wasthe rule.

'Your country has refunded all itsdebts,' was the good news I heard from aFrenchman abroad, who had just comeback from a cooperation mission inMauritius in mid-1986. The gate was wideopen to a new era of opportunities, invest-ments, employment and prosperity.Educated young adults could not believetheir eyes when they were summoned forjob interviews, and were recruited. Nobacking or caste-preferences! Girls couldfind jobs and husbands as factories wereset up in the villages, an idea emanatingfrom the PMO. The pace of developmentgathered momentum in the early 90s. Afeel-good factor pervaded society.Mauritius gained status in the region andat international level. It made Mauritiansabroad proud of their country.

No wonder SAJ was disappointed atnot being re-elected in 1995. There areups and downs in every mortal's life, andno one is perfect. Destiny smiled again athim in 2000, and wiped out the humiliationof 2010 in the 2014 elections.

India did a great honour to Mauritius indeclaring a mourning day on June 5th,2021. The demise of Sir Anerood Jugnauthjolts the population, and mainly, theyounger generation into an awareness ofhis achievements throughout his politicalcareer, and all the benefits people areenjoying today. He was the last represen-tative of an early breed of politicians ofhigh mettle. It is the end of an era inMauritius. Our thoughts go to LadySarojini, his daughter and son, the PrimeMinister, his wife, daughters and relatives.We can only say: Thank you, Sir Anerood.

Nita Chicooree-Mercier

Thank you, SAJ

“SAJ's strong personality and no-nonsense style of governance combined with asense of discipline and principle of hard work played a major role in building up

a positive reputation in the population. His straightforwardness in language and relations accounted for a few abrasive statements and blunt replies to critics. These

were generally brushed aside by a public to whom his leadership qualities and contribution to economic development mattered more than the choice of words and

tone in heated verbal exchanges among politicians, or undiluted remarks SAJ nervously hurled at any group that he may have antagonized..."